Film Review Archives 2015

Best Film of 2015:

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (d. J. J. Abrams USA 2015) – Review

With 2015 we see a bit more of a move to dark dramas. There are still the Science Fiction and Super Hero franchises of the day, including the reboots Jurassic World (d. Colin Trevorrow USA/China 2015) and Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens – both of which were huge films to look out for! Ant-Man (d. Peyton Reed USA 2015) was a nice addition but The Avengers: Age of Ultron (d. Joss Whedon USA 2015) seemed to be the release for Marvel‘s plans. Meanwhile we saw the nostalgic look at films past, through Jurassic World and Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, not only reboots they almost are tributes to their earlier films.

Speaking of reboots Mad Max (d. George Miller Australia 1979) had Mad Max: Fury Road (d. Miller Australia/USA 2015). This seems to continue an interest in exploitation films that Planet Terror (d. Robert Rodriguez USA 2007) and Grindhouse also in some ways The Expendables (d. Sylvester Stallone USA 2010) was a part of. Mad Max: Fury Road‘s best aspects was knowing it’s audience and playing to it. Something that Jurassic World tried in numerous references and Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens did a bit more successfully. Though with Jurassic World the references were made in spite of the changes, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens showed a reliance that posited the film as strictly Star Wars and that the filmmakers could do a Star Wars film well (this may even be a part of Star Wars Ring Theory, though it made the film predictable).

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens was an important landmark as Star Wars is a huge franchise affecting the face of films, franchising and even block busters. So Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens being a continuation, that also ‘makes an apology‘ for the prequels that were really frowned upon, was always going to be a big thing for film. In reflecting today’s sensibilities the complexity of – the good stormtrooper, and Rey – a female Jedi, marking a call for diversity is a huge step for the franchise. If they now include people of different sexualities they’d hit almost all diversity points! With the start of Disney Star Wars we explode one of the biggest revivals of an important Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Science Fiction Epic (call it what you will), with this we’re still in the past, in space and super heroes. Whilst, for original films, we see Ex Machina (d. Alex Garland UK 2015) which fills similar ideas whilst tying in some of today’s disillusionment. We also see in Diary of a Teenage Girl (d. Marielle Heller USA 2015)a move for society to face their harsh realities. Though Tarantino‘s The Hateful Eight (d. Quentin Tarantino USA 2015) shows more nostalgia, whilst reflecting a look to the old and gritty.

Further Reading

2015 Gross

Change and Reinvention

Trends in 2015

Archived Reviews

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Spectre

Fantastic Four (2015)

Jurassic World

Avengers: Age of Ultron